Bruce Rauner announced today that he will participate in five candidate debates and forums with media partners prior to the March 18th primary. Evelyn Sanguinetti has also agreed to participate in the WTTW televised debate for lieutenant governor candidates.

“Debates are an important part of the election process, and I’m glad we will have several televised debates. I look forward to debating the critical issues of jobs, taxes and spending, education, term limits, and more with my fellow Republicans,” Bruce said. “In addition, as the primary nears, we will continue to increase our breakneck campaign pace that has already put more than 35,000 miles on the Ford and brought us to more than 200 community and campaign events. Illinoisans are ready to shake up Springfield and bring back our state – I feel it on the campaign trail every day.”

In addition to the debates below, Bruce has already completed more than half a dozen candidate forums and even more joint appearances.

The others will be there or 80% of the state won’t know what they look like. A four person debate is pretty chaotic and it’s hard to cover much. No one should have much fear in debating among this group. What will become clear is if someone makes a mammoth mistake or if they look overly desperate. I’d be working hard to get something unique and revolutionary or some disruptive thought into my candidate’s head starting…today.

WTTW has tripled it’s insurace for the Lt. Governor’s Debate slated for March 6, 2014.

“Slip and Sue” Sanguinetti will have her own doorway, a new rug, glued and nailed to the floor to stand on, and no block to stnad on, or fall from during the debate.

Waivers are to be signed later today, a month prior to the debate, and the day of the debate, limiting the liability of WTTW, if “someone” were to fall accidently, and thus having the debate called off, and litigation following by the “victim”.

PEORIA — The only time the GOP candidates for governor are scheduled to face off downstate on TV before next March’s primary, it’ll be in Peoria.

At least three of the four Republican candidates to take on Gov. Pat Quinn will debate each other for 90 minutes in a contest that will be aired live from WTVP-TV, Channel 47’s Downtown studio.

State Treasurer Dan Rutherford and state Sens. Bill Brady of Bloomington and Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale have agreed to take part in the Jan. 23 match-up during which they’ll field questions from a panel of four downstate journalists. Businessman Bruce Rauner had not committed to the debate as of Tuesday evening.

It’s part of a partnership between four public broadcasting operations — WTVP locally, alongside WILL TV and radio in Urbana, WSIU TV and radio in Carbondale and WUIS radio in Springfield — and the statewide League of Women Voters to bring a debate downstate.

“There are different issues that affect downstate,” said WILL-TV’s Kimberlie Kranich, a co-executive producer of debate. “The folks we’re working with at all the stations are going to be specifically looking at issues downstate. The majority of voters (in the primary) are outside of the Chicago area, so that’s an important constituency.”

WTVP station manager Chet Tomczyk said the stations represent communities that have a “commonality” and holding the forum here gives the candidates more opportunity “to see and appreciate the differences with Chicago.”

Hit the “search” key, Tom Cross would have me around for about 17 minutes. It would take Jason Plummer about 17 days, but I would introduce myself as “Bill” and that would throw him.

I gave Grogan his props on the SSM, but if you think poking the bear is helping, ok…

Now, if Rauner were to indeed call, and ask about rates for AWilyWord Con$ulting … I would have to listen after someone used smelling salts to revive me, and pumped me full of Plummer meds to prevent me from passing out again.

To the Post,

Getting a “chicken-suit” person, wearing a Flavor Flav “Clock around his/her neck, and wearing a fleece vest or Carhartt coat over the costume … that is comedy gold!

For the Priamry, “Bruce Rauner” is not going to say anything earth-shattering, I beleive, that will be helpful to the other “3″, and none of those “3″ are going to be able to get the gaffe in rotation.

If Unions or a 3rd Party PAC make the move to get invloved solely to go after Rauner, then all bets are off, and some Dopey “minimum wage” gaffe or something similar might make a difference.

However, for the Primary, the limited resourses, and the minor the gaffes to exploit do not put Rauner in peril come March.

Will the media wake up and take Rauner on like Blair Hull, or “Jack!” Ryan by then, I have no clue. Is the OR on Rauner extensive? I can’t speak to that first hand, so I have no idea, but what I do know, is if Bruce Rauner was a Quarterback, his unifor would be very clean, having not been knocked down, and the defensive line he is facing is not too formitable.

Think about it. Five debates is perfect. Two of the other three candidates can’t even afford gas money to get to all of them, and the third one is asking for volunteers to stock up Son of Pongee with gas about now.

With the kind of gazillions this guy has and is throwing around, good–those 5 gatherings are shaping up to be about the only chance any of the OTHER 3 GOP candidates have–and they’d better be ready to pull off their boxing gloves and USE them against BR, early and OFTen, throughout those debates!!!

I disagree. The other 3 need to look at this like a comedian would look at this and stage a “Roast of Bruce Rauner.”

“Bruce Rauner makes a million dollars a week, but can’t afford to come to the only debate televised downstate!”
“My campaign manager told me she heard a rumor about Bruce Rauner and Pat Quinn coming to this debate. Please. They only come to Peoria when they want to buy votes.”
“We asked some of Bruce’s friends to be here for the roast. Rahm had a prior engagement.”

It is understandable why Rauner is hesitant to debate any of the others. Little to gain but a lot to lose. However, limiting himself to only 5 debates makes him come off as a lightweight versus the other three journeyman fighters. I am not sure if this campaign strategy is really a good idea? Republican voters are looking for a guy who isn’t afraid to say what he thinks and is willing to mix it up. This doesn’t appear to be the case with the debate issue. Bruce would have been wise to allow a greater number of debates. Only five debates will label Bruce as “Hide & Seek Rauner” with a great many GOP voters.

The Rauner OR? He paid Lee Daniels/jIMRYAN crony Stu Levine $25K a month to consult for an out of state company….that is worth about 10 days of ads by itself. Guessing there is a wealth of OR in HR of all the companies the FarmerBrucey companies. And of course there is $600K tax loss for farming in one of the biggest ag states in the nation…what was he growing and when did he grow it? as we once asked Nixon
Need more?

The Citizens Club debate in Springfield is set to be broadcast, possibly live, by WICS. All four candidates are attending. Springfield still qualifies as “downstate” for most of Illinois. Might be considered “deliverance” for the North Shore.